Improvement in spindle-bolsters



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Witnesses;

"jaaa )4 M @VMM /famw l NITED STATES PATENT Ormes.

ERASTUS N. STEERE, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPINDLE-BOLSTERS.

Speoication forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,221, dated January 21, 1862.

.To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERAsTUs N. STEERE, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Self-Lubricating Spindle-Bolsters for Spinning-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of a spindle arranged with my :improved bolster. Fig. 2 is a plan of said bolster, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The only self-lubricating spindle-bearings wherein a fibrous absorbent is employed with which I am acquainted are the improved mill-bush (for grinding-mills) described in Robert M. lVades patent of May 25, 1844, the improved collar or bolster for spindles of spinning-frames described in the rejected application of Benjamin Innis, March 8, 1859,

and the improvement in lubricating spin dles described in the rejected application of Benjamin Eckerts, 1855. By reference to these cases it will be seen that in each the fibrous absorbent bears directly against the spindle as a packing and for conducting the oil fromits chamber to the surface of the spindle, and a screw-cap is employed to set up the packing snugly around the spindle and to graduate the ow of oil from the chamber to the spindle, so that only a sufficient quantity may be supplied to keep the bearing well lubricated. This bearing of the brous material against the spindle is objectionable in a live (revolving) spindle for spinning-machines for the reason that it binds the spindle in its bearing and prevents it from whirling freely. This, though a matter of little importance in a grinding-mill, for which Wades invention is expressly designed, and in a dead (stationary) spindle spinning-machine, for which Eckerts device is expressly designed, amounts to an important objection in a mill of several thousand live spindles for spinning purposes. The objection to the screw-cap employed by Wade and Innis is that the supply of oil to the bearing is dependent upon its proper adjustment, which duty devolves upon the operatives, who know nothing of such matters, and if not properly adjusted either the packing binds with the spindle from being set up too hard or the oil flows through the bearing and is wasted. A bolster with this adjustment is too expensive, it costing nearly three times as much as the ordinary bolster.

The object in View in my invention is the production of a self-lubricating bolster for spinning purposes, in which the bearing of the fibrous absorbent against the spindle is avoided, requiring no adjustment or other attention which cannot be performed by the operative, and costing but a little more than the ordinary bolster.

It is obvious that a spindle for spinning purposes should revolve freely without the slightest hinderance from friction or otherwise, that a plain metal bearing. is the best as conducive to such freedom of action, and that the self-regulating principle to be useful should not interfere with such freedom ofy action, but contribute toward rendering the' same more perfect; in view of which my improvement consists in the employment of an isolated absorbent for holding the lubricating-liquid in reserve in a separate chamber in connection with two or more oilpassages for conducting the lubricating-liquid to the spindle, arranged with a plain metal bearing such as is generally used as a bolster, as is hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the construction and operation of the same.

In the drawings, A is a spindle, which is revolved in bearings consisting of the step C in the lower rail B and the bolster D in the upper rail E. The bolster D, I construct with an inner shell of bronze or composition metal f, Figs. 2 and 3, and with a surrounding shell h, generally of cast-iron, fitting the inner shell snugly by being forced thereon, this method being most convenient and cheaper than most others. The interior of the bronze shell f forms a plain metal bearing precisely like that of the ordinary bolster; but instead of applying the oil directly to the said bearing at frequent intervals, as is the practice when such bearings are used, I purpose to arrange therewith a self-lubricating device which will, While holding a supply of oil in reserve, yield a sufficiency to keep the said bearing well lubricated and no more than is required; and in order to avoid impairing the usefulness of such a bearing in any particular by such connection I observe the following arrangement,

viz: In the upper portion of the exterior shell h,I form an annular chamber surrounding the spindle-bearing, but separated therefrom by the inner shell f, through which are formed two or more passages e e for conducting the lubricatingliquid from the said chamber against the spindle. This chamber I stuif with cotton, wool, or other fibrous material s, the oiiice of which is simply to hold the oil in reserve Within the chamber, in which capacity it will be seen that the said fibrous material does not bear against the spindle, but is removed from contact therewith by the intervening shell f. The absorbent does not therefore in any way hinder the spindle from turning freely by creating unnecessary friction, as is the case in the cases above referred to, but by yielding a supply of oil through the passages e e (which are the conductors) contributes toward rendering its freedom of action more perfect.

It will be seen that if the spindle [its its bearing in the shell f properly, owing to the proximity of the two surfaces, the oil-passages e e will be closed to acertain extent and the flow of oil therefrom will in consequence be checked. Accordingly, if one of the surfaces (the spindle) be revolved, the oil which had accumulated in the passages would be drawninto the bearing andform a thin stratum between the two surfaces, the presence of which would oppose the entrance of afurther supply until it was required. This is, therefore, the means for graduating the supply of oil to the bearing. A Iiange 'i projects horizontally from the top of the inner shell f, which partially covers the oil-chamber and tends to keep the stuffing down in its place.

The upper surface of the flange is slightly inclined for the purpose of conducting the oil when carelessly applied into the chamber. As a stuffing for the chamber, cotton roving is recommended as being at hand in a cottonmill and most convenient to use, as it may be wound around the inner shell Within the chamber and readily unwound when it is to be removed.

It will be observed that there is nothing adjustable in this bolster and that the only attention'required is the application of oil to the chamber, say, once in seven (7) days.

Having described my invention, I would not be understood as claiming, broadly, the use of a fibrous absorbent, asI am aware that as a means it has been previously employed in a number of Ways; neither would I be understood as claiming a separate chamber with passages therefrom for containing and supplying oil to a bearing, as this has been done before in the cases hereinabove mentioned and in some other instances; neither do I claim any combination of the same, except that hereinafter specified, for the purpose set forth in the beginning-that is to say:

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the isolated absorbent s and the passages or conductors e e, -in conneet-ion with the ordinarymetal bearing of a spindle-bolster, the same being arranged and operating substantially as herein described, for the purposes specified.

ERASTUS N. STEERE.

Witnesses:

ISAAC A. BUNNELL, JAMES H. PARSONS. 

